Backstage Spotlight™
Concert Promoter Gina Zamparelli
Gina Zamparelli has worked in the live concert
industry for 23 years and was the first woman in the Los Angeles market to produce
concerts with national-level artists. Shows she produced at the legendary Perkins Palace
are still talked about in rock circles, including a Guns ‘n’ Roses show credited
amongst GNR fans as being the one that put that band on the map. Gina is active in
historic preservation and has been a theater financial consultant for 13 theaters around
the US. She heads Friends of the Raymond Theatre, a non-profit group dedicated to saving
the former vaudeville theater (built in 1921) that was known in the 80’s &
90’s as the concert venue Perkins Palace (which Gina’s company managed for more
than a decade). Once her preservation work with the Raymond Theatre comes to a close, she
will start producing concerts in LA once again.
MBADC: You said that being a woman in preservation and politics, you run into the
same issues that came up back when you were one of the few women in the music industry.
Care to elaborate?
GZ: I really haven’t had too many issues, or none I couldn’t
get past, being a woman concert promoter or venue manager. But working as an activist, now
that’s another ballgame!
My effort to save the Raymond Theater has had nothing to do with preservation and
everything to do with politics. What this 15 year effort to preserve the Raymond Theatre
has been about is a moneyed developer, with the power to persuade politicians and rally a
couple of his affluent friends to help him destroy a historic theater because he wants to
build apartments on the property--not because the theaters use has run out. Despite a
community and 6,500 people around the world saying no, the City and developer have
generated falsified feasibility studies and real estate appraisals to achieve their goal.
I have stood up to say no, this behavior is not fair or acceptable to the community, nor
is it the way we should treat our historic buildings. Developers are allowed to take our
history because they can get away with it due to their money, power and political
affluence. I have challenged the City, and this developer, on their actions and brought
hundreds of people both community and industry to hearings to help.
Would it have been easier if I was a 60 year old male worth $50 million? Sure.
I operated the Raymond Theatre for 10 years. The City of Pasadena hired me to write a two
- year extensive financial performa on the venue, and for 15 years I have had to study
every angle of the venue to keep it standing. I won every hearing in 15 years due to my
knowledge of the venue, and we have sued the City and spent 3 years in court. But the City
believes a developer who has no experience with operation of a theater knows more than I
possibility could. It’s more like his money speaks louder than experience and
knowledge.
When the politicians ran out of trying to figure out how to get past my knowledge of the
theater, they resorted to labeling me a "rock promoter" who would bring a bad
element to Pasadena. So have the developers’ attorneys. The developer has even gone
so far at to attempt defamation of my character and released to press that I have never
been a promoter or managed the Raymond Theatre. I image this is what it’s like
running for office!
I have come out of this a much stronger and wiser person, but back to your original
question, yes, being a promoter or venue manager was a walk in the park vs. the work I am
doing now. But all well worth the effort.
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